Bradford Farmer's Market.

It was a rather pleasant day at the Farmer's Market this morning. Gray clouds threatened overhead, but the crowd didn't seem deterred. Lots of folks were out and about looking at all the lovely fresh produce and baked goods. The sun finally made an appearance right around noon and traffic picked up a bit.

Truly a great selection and competitive prices too! (I can't resist Mary's baked goods. mmmm... chocolate and peanut butter. Pistachio bread too!)

Most of the vendors are local. They make and sell things as a hobby or to earn a few extra dollars that our grandma's would have called "pin money".  Many have been there for years, although this is it's first year in the present location. I'm told that in years past the Bradford Farmer's Market was downtown in the historic district. Nice location, but not much room for growth.

This week I met a couple new vendors with great ideas.

Sunday Morning Walking

This is the day. 

This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

 How many of you remember singing that catchy little tune in Sunday School?


Fortune smiled upon us the day this small home became available. Despite the high volume of foot traffic, most mornings find us thankful that the local rails-to-trails project is so close by. Early morning is the absolute best time to be out and about. The only sounds around are the tchik of Red-winged Blackbirds, Chickadee (chick-a-dee-dee-dee or fee-bee), the 'scrunch' of gravel and sand beneath our feet and the tinkling stream meandering alongside the path.



More photos of yesterdays hike below. May your day be filled with family, friends and blessings!

p.s. (On the "grand experiment": Today is the first day that the absence of TV was felt. On Sundays past the sounds of CBS Sunday Morning echoed from the walls. Ninety minutes of current events, biography, good (or bad) deeds and insightful, opinionated commentary. A short digest of a rather wide range of topics. Put together by a group of Marketing personnel to capture as wide an audience as possible and thereby retain their market share and six-figure salaries. Ack! Too cynical for a pretty Sunday morning.... All that to say I miss watching the program. The first time in a week that I've actually missed having TV. Comforting to know "this too shall pass".)

Bandit the Bold

This is Bandit at eight months old. He came to live with me in August of 2012. Look at that face. Doesn't he look happy? I can honestly say...he's a bonehead. We walked outside this morning and he didn't want to go off the deck.

He "woofed" which is unusual for him. While he's a very verbal dog and will "talk" from time to time, he doesn't usually bark. A quick glance around showed that none of the neighborhood children or any wild/tame animals were out and about. [Thankfully the bears haven't started raiding garbage cans/bird feeders yet this Spring. Think rural.]



Nothing readily apparent. The only thing I could see was four or five robins in the yard. Sure enough - that's what he was "woofing" about. He didn't know what to make of them. Friend? Foe? Made me laugh. This big, bad 110 pound (so far) German Shepherd. Afraid of some little birdies in the yard. Silly puppy!

He's really a gentle giant and I just adore his sweet temperament.

This picture was taken while hiking at the Marilla Reservoir just outside Bradford, PA. The main trail is a fairly level, gravelled one-mile loop meandering in and out of clusters of hemlock that surround the reservoir.  Benches facing the water are scattered at random intervals should you feel the need for respite (or contemplation). There is even a gazebo for bird watching at one corner of the main trail. We normally prefer the more strenuous White Pine Trail.

Hey! Look outside. Is the sun shining? Yes? So what are you doing sitting on your butt reading blogs on the computer? Get outside! Get some fresh air! Get some exercise!